British Museum

The Great Court

At the centre of British Museum sits the largest covered
public square in Europe, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court.
 Designed by Foster and Partners, the
Great Court is a two-acre space enclosed
by a spectacular glass roof with the
world-famous Reading Room in the
middle.
Free and open every day to visitors, the
Great Court is one of London's most
unique spaces.
 In the original Robert Smirke Great Court
design, the courtyard was supposed to be a
garden. However, from 1852 many bookstacks
were built, and along with the Reading Room it
became the home of the library department of
the Museum.

The department stayed in the Great Court until

1997, when it was relocated to the new British
Library building in St Pancras. Now empty, the
Museum took the opportunity to once again re-
open the space to the public.
 An architectural competition to redesign the
courtyard space was launched with three aims: reveal
hidden spaces, revise old spaces and create new
spaces. With more than 130 entries, the eventual
winner was Foster and Partners.
The £100 million project was supported
by grants of £30 million from the
Millennium Commission and £15.75
million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Great Court was opened on 6

December 2000 by Her Majesty the
Queen.
Edinburgh Castle
 Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle, stronghold that was once the
residence of Scottish monarchs and now serves
mostly as a museum. It stands 443 feet (135
metres) above sea level and overlooks the city
of Edinburgh from a volcanic crag
called Castle Rock. Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh
Castle in Scotland.
 Castle Rock has been the site of
human activity for at least 3,000
years. Edinburgh Castle is located
at the top of the  Royal Mile, at the
west end of Edinburgh's Old Town.
The volcanic Castle Rock offers a
naturally defended position, with
sheer cliffs to north and south, and
a steep ascent from the west. The
only easy approach is from the
town to the east, and the castle's
defences are situated accordingly,
with a series of gates protecting the
route to the summit of the Castle
Rock.